1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to an integrated method and system for blending and/or mixing beverages, and thereafter automatically cleaning the beverage assembly. More particularly, it relates to a blender module which is capable of blending and/or mixing flavor/ingredients and ice to form a pre-selected beverage (e.g., a smoothie), as well as cleaning the blender shaft, blade and mixing compartment post-mixing, thereby avoiding flavor contamination and satisfying health and sanitary regulations.
2. Description of Related Art
Multiple steps are involved in creating a beverage or drink, for example, a smoothie drink, from beginning to end, and potential issues can occur at all stages. Smoothie making requires the use of blender pots to create the drink, meaning that the operator is required to purchase, maintain, and then store small wares (blender pots). Limitations of current technology also require the labor intensive transportation of ice to the smoothie machine from a separate icemaking machine in order to maintain a level of usable ice in the smoothie machine. This ice transfer is an issue for many reasons. First, labor is required to transport the ice typically from a back storage room to the point of sale (POS) counter area of a restaurant, where the smoothie machines are typically located. This ice transfer can create a safety hazard for employees who could slip and fall on wet floors or injure themselves by improperly carrying a heavy bucket. It can also increase the likelihood of ice contamination through mishandling.
Once the ice is stocked, the employee must manually add an estimated amount to the blender pot. Since the amount of ice is not measured, but rather “guesstimated” by each employee, this ingredient is not precise and, therefore, makes it difficult to create the same franchised drink time after time.
After the ice is manually added, the juice and any additional fruit or flavor “mix-in” is added by the operator as well. Finally, a size of cup is chosen, and the drink is poured. This last step presents the largest chance for waste. Since the employee must portion the ingredients by hand, any overspill of the drink is left in the blender pot. At each step during this manual process, portion control is compromised, and money is potentially wasted on excess ingredients.
Once the order is complete and the customer has his or her drink, there is one last step to finalize the process—the method of manually cleaning the blender pot after each use to prevent the transfer of flavors and germs. Often, to save time, the blender pots are rinsed in a sink, which can compromise sanitation. While this might seem insignificant, flavor contamination can be a serious threat if customers have food allergies. Another drawback to the washing process is that it involves a substantial amount of time and labor on the part of the operator.
Each step in this process to create a smoothie takes time, typically four to five minutes, and that time could be better spent serving customers or taking more food and beverage orders, directly contributing to the bottom line.
Although premium beverages such as smoothies are growing in popularity, most quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are unable to offer customers these options due to the time limitations of the quick-serve world. Those QSR owners that do opt to serve smoothies are confronted with a common set of challenges—mainly how to sell the same franchised drink time after time with existing labor and equipment limitations.
Accordingly, the present inventors have developed a unique integrated blender module that is capable of blending and/mixing beverage flavors/ingredients with ice, and thereafter automatically self cleans itself for immediate reuse without subsequent flavor contamination.